The Project
by PianoPlayer1200
Summary: In order to pass the first semester of Health class , it is required that you take care of a "baby" with a partner . Unfortunately for Eren Jaeger , he was paired with the person he has a raging hate for . Ereri High School AU .
1. Announcement

Chapter One – Announcement

It was a day that everyone dreaded.

The day where _that one thing_ people had been avoiding since the beginning came to light.

It seemed even the anxiety was stuffing the air, making everyone in the room glance nervously at each other. There was no escape; no way to wiggle yourself out of it. Eventually the tension came to an end as the situation was put into words.

Mr. Erwin Smith strolled into the classroom, blonde hair in place as always as he sat down behind his desk. He placed his large hands onto the desk and cleared his throat, raising one of his bold eyebrows. The class immediately sat up straighter, fearing the next words coming out of his mouth.

"Good afternoon class. Today we will begin working on our final for this class."

A small groan spread throughout the classroom. Someone slammed their head down on the desk, a sound that represented all their agony. His eyebrow shot up even higher. Why had he decided to work with high school kids? He didn't even know. He gave a small shake of his head and continued.

"As I'm sure many of you know, the final project consists of working with a partner in taking care of a baby. But not of an actual baby, of course."

He stood up and walked over to a small closet on the side of the board. He disappeared into the tiny room and returned with a box marked PROJECTS. He ripped off the tape from the top and bent down to pick one of the projects out of the box. In his hands was a baby, or a figure similar to a baby, dressed in simple baby clothing. Sighing he set the baby down on the desk and turned to the class.

"I will be assigning your partners randomly. Now don't give me those faces! I'll have you know I've had nothing but great results from this projects! I've set people up that to this day are still dating!"

In the back of the room junior Eren Jaeger rolled his large, turquoise eyes. Forget that dating mumbo jumbo this was absolute _bullshit_. He had been told by his upperclassmen friends that the baby project was probably the worst part of the course. According to them, you were practically forced to work with someone and raise something _that isn't even alive_. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head.

"This is such bullshit."

Beside him, his blonde best friend Armin turned to face him with wide blue eyes. "Eren, this is for our final grade for this semester! Maybe you should take this more seriously . . ."

Eren rolled his eyes again and pushed off the chair, landing back on the ground with a gentle _thud_. Mr. Smith had begun taking out the baby simulators and placing them on the desk. He grabbed a roster from his drawer and called for the classes' attention. His blue eyes flickered from student to student as he spoke.

"Alright like I said before, the pairings will be random. Let's see . . ."

He cleared his throat and began calling off names. "Alright Sasha Braus and Connie Springer!"

From the table next to Eren's the duo shot up, exchanging glances. A slow grin began to form on Sasha's face, eyes twinkling with joy. She dashed to the front, wheeling a confused Connie with her as they were handed a baby girl and given a packet with the project information. Eren scowled; the two were practically together so the project would probably be easy for them. Erwin checked them off and continued.

"Okay now Franz and Hannah come get your baby."

Was Mr. Smith seriously putting all the couples together? Eren's frown deepened as he watched the couple step up and take a baby boy. He crossed his arms and muttered under his breath, "Like I said, total bullshit."

The names continued on; much to Eren's surprise, Mr. Smith did pair some random people together. There were people who never exchanged a glance that were paired or duos who had only shared a few conversations. He was amused, however, when Armin was paired with Annie Leonhardt, a petite blonde who always seemed disinterested. Eren laughed as Armin stood up shakily and walked up to get their baby girl.

"Way to go, Arlert!" Eren whooped as his best friend returned. Armin had had a crush on Annie since middle school and was constantly flustered when she was around. He glared at Eren and hissed, "Shut up Eren you're not helping the situation."

Eren was still laughing so hard that he almost didn't hear Mr. Smith call his name. He was about to stand up when he heard who he was paired with.

"Ah yes, Mr. Jaeger. You will be paired with Levi Rivaille."

Eren froze. He heard Armin snickering beside him. He turned his head sharply, eyes narrowed. "Oh God you deserve this," Armin said in between snickers.

He let out a gust of air and stood up, letting his head hang down. Was this real life? He took another breath of air and strode up to the front, eyes trained on his teacher. His eyes flickered to the small figure standing beside the desk, arms crossed across his chest. _Just breathe_ he kept telling himself.

"Wait a minute Mr. Smith, they're both . . ."

"I was waiting for someone to comment on that."

Erwin flashed a dazzling smile to his pupils. "Because of the times same sex couples will be included! What a time to be alive, isn't it? Regardless of orientation and gender anyone can get married. Absolutely glorious!"

Eren tried hard not to roll his eyes in front of his teacher. He turned to Eren and said, "You know Levi, right?"

Of course Eren knew who Levi was. The midget was the bane to his existence, the Kryptonite to his Superman. He had known Levi since middle school and had hated him from the second he had walked into the room. Who was this kid, walking around acting like he was the best? The one thing that really ticked Eren off was the kid's sarcasm. It seemed like every sentence that he uttered was laced in it; couldn't the kid be serious for once? Plus why did the kid always look so _bored_ all the time?

Eren gave a tense nod and hastily grabbed the packet from Mr. Smith. Levi gave an almost inaudible sigh and rolled his eyes. It seemed their teacher just wanted to torture him. In his eyes Eren Jaeger was the biggest absolute brat in the world. The kid had the worst temper; just dropping a pencil could set the boy off. Also the kid never seemed to _shut up_. It seemed he couldn't walk anywhere without hearing his loud, obnoxious voice. And his sense of humor? Terrible. Absolutely _terrible_.

"Well good luck you two! Next couple will be . . ."

As Eren trudged back to his desk he heard a snicker, followed by a snarky voice saying, "Hey Jaeger, looks like you got yourself a new boyfriend!"

He snapped his head towards the source of the voice. Jean Kirstein, his childhood rival since elementary school, was smirking at him. Eren felt his fingers twitch with the urge to punch him in the face. He took in a deep breath and snarled, "Shut it, Horse Face. I'll make you regret those words."

Before Jean could respond he heard Mr. Smith call his name. The two boys turned to the front of the class where their blond teacher was scanning his clipboard. Smiling he said, "Ah yes, Mr. Kirstein you will be working with Marco Bodt."

Eren covered his mouth to stop the loud laughs from escaping. "What were you saying, Horse Face?"

Jean flushed. Marco was his best friend and the two were basically inseparable. There were whispers that the two were more than "just friends" but Jean was quick to fight the rumors. Marco, on the other hand, was the sweetest guy in their grade and didn't think much of it. The freckled boy smiled at Jean and simply said, "I guess we should go get our baby."

Jean's face flushed even more at his statement. He gave a slow nod and walked with Marco to the front. Meanwhile Eren had arrived back at his seat and slumped into it. Armin chuckled and patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Well at least it's only for three weeks," he said, trying to comfort his best friend.

"Three weeks is a long time!" Eren complained. "At least you're working with someone you like."

Armin blushed and stammered, "Well, I-I mean I g-guess."

Once the couples had been put together Mr. Smith proceeded to put the leftover "babies" away and stood in front of his desk. "The handouts I gave you have the guidelines and the grading scale for this project. It also has some advice for both parties on the baby. Now there is one thing I did not have a chance to discuss that is in the handout."

He sat down on his desk. "Now if you will turn to the last page of the packet. Both people in the group must put their name at the top. This is a log of time the two of you have spent with the baby. It is a requirement that you spend at least four hours together a week taking care of the baby!"

A chorus of anguished moans filled the room. Frowning Erwin stood up and began walking through the classroom. "Please, listen to me! Raising a baby includes the help of both parties. That is why I decided this. Also! It is also required that you bring the baby with you to school as well. You have to figure out with your partner who will have the baby and when."

Eren laid his head down on his desk. He decided in that moment that this Health class was truly hell. Mr. Smith continued to talk a bit more about the project until the bell rang. Everyone awkwardly shuffled over to their partner and began planning the project out. Armin's face was as bright as a tomato as he walked to Annie who, like always, seemed disinterested. Sighing Eren figured there was no way he could put this off. Armin was right; this was his final and he definitely couldn't mess it up.

Most of the class was already gone by the time he got to Levi's desk. The shorter male was turning the baby boy over, examining every square inch of it. He gave a brisk "tch" before looking up at Eren. His eyes narrowed a bit as he realized who had approached him. Frowning, Eren tried hard not to snap at him. Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Look, I'm not looking forward to this as much as you are. Let's just get this over with, yeah?"

Levi's eyes narrowed a bit more. His pupils were barely visible through the slits.

"Listen up, I'm not putting up with your bullshit any more than I need to. You got that?"

Before Eren could respond he stood up and strode out, baby in tow. Incredulous, the brunette followed after him and yelled, "Hey! Wait up for me, you asshole!"

Levi stopped in his tracks and whipped around to face Eren. "What did you just say?"

Just great. It hadn't even been three minutes yet and the two were already arguing.

"Can you just calm down for one second?!"

"I _am_ calm, Jaeger, you're the one who started all this!"

Several people walking by in the hallway were beginning to eye them strangely. They must have been an odd sight, with Levi clutching a baby haphazardly and Eren yelling his head off. After a few minutes of arguing they eventually fell quiet and waited to see who would break the tension. Sighing Levi adjusted the baby in his arms and glared at Eren.

"I'll take care of the baby until the bell rings. Meet me at my locker so we can work out a schedule of sorts. My locker is by the gym."

He spun sharply on his heels and stalked off, leaving a relieved Eren. _At least he's gone for now_ he thought to himself. He ran a hand over his face and realized that today was quite possibly going to be the longest day of his life. If the long day didn't kill him, he was more than sure that Levi would.


	2. Arrangement

Chapter Two – Arrangement

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Eren went to all his classes but his mind was only focused on the project. He was still pretty steamed over the argument he & Levi had had in the hallway earlier. But he knew that he would have to put his anger aside to work on the project. And after all, three weeks wasn't so bad. Twenty one days . . . Eren thought he could manage twenty one days. He was just thankful that Mr. Smith hadn't assigned the project at the beginning of the semester; Eren would have been in trouble then.

He and Armin were currently sitting in their AP Biology class, listening to Dr. Pixis explain the makeup of DNA. As always, Armin was scribbling hastily away, trying to get every possible detail down. Eren usually doodled and copied the notes from Armin whenever he went over, which was usually every day. Dr. Pixis announced a brief break and the class immediately took advantage of it. Sighing the brunette stood up and stretched, shoulders popping slightly. He glanced over at Armin.

"Have you and Annie already begun planning the project?"

Whenever Annie's name was mentioned Armin always flushed. Right now was no exception. He looked up at Eren with bright blue eyes and replied, "Er, yeah, sorta. She has the baby but I'm going over later so we can actually schedule something."

Eren frowned. He had been hoping to go to Armin's place so they could study for their Pre-Calc test that was on Friday. He sat back down in his seat and sighed. "Looks like you'll be busy with her for a while then."

Armin's flush deepened. Clearing his throat he turned to face Eren. "Have you and Levi started working?"

The fight from earlier flashed in his mind but he knew if he told Armin the blonde would be livid. "Er, sort of. I'm getting the baby once school is over."

"Oh, that's a good start . . . I guess."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, about our Math test on Friday."

The bell rang loudly, bringing Eren out of his jumbled thoughts. His last class of the day was AP U.S. History, which was taught by Petra Ral, a friendly woman straight out of college. She was reminding everyone over the commotion to read the chapter on the Civil War and to be prepared for a pop quiz. Eren slung his backpack over his shoulder and made his way over to his locker. He mentally decided what to take and what to leave before slamming it shut and making his way to the front entrance. Before he turned the corner to finally go home he stopped in his steps.

Wasn't he forgetting something?

He racked his brain and after a minute his dazzling green eyes went wide. _Oh crap, Levi and the baby! He's going to _kill_ me if I'm a no show!_ Turning sharply on his heel he dashed down the hallway, narrowly avoiding everyone going the opposite way. He slipped through various halls as he made his way towards the gym and only stopped at the corner by the locker rooms. He bent over to catch his breath and hoped to God that Levi wasn't pissed.

Here goes nothing.

Eren shook his head and turned the corner, heart thumping anxiously in his chest. He was relieved to see Levi standing at his locker, going through the contents and neatly putting textbooks in his bag. Their baby boy was held gently in his right arm and yet he managed to put his stuff away without a problem. Eren was unsure whether to greet him or not but thankfully Levi beat him to it.

"Hey brat. I thought for a second you would just take off."

"Nice to see you too," Eren muttered under his breath.

Levi slammed his locker and finally turned to face Eren. He had his usual cool expression on and didn't seem as irritated as before. The baby was juggled into his other arm as he eyed his partner coolly and said, "Change of plans. We're going to my place so we can figure this shit out."

"Wha-what?! But I . . . I have things to do!"

"Like what? An idiot like you never does their work anyway."

Eren bit his tongue so he wouldn't lose his temper again. Sighing he stepped aside and gestured towards the hallway. "Lead the way."

Levi smirked and began walking down the hallway. They made their way to the front entrance and into the student parking lot. Raising an eyebrow Eren looked back towards the street and asked, "Uhhh, where are you going?"

Levi sighed and turned around. "We're in the parking lot what do you think? God, are you seriously such an idiot?"

"Watch yourself," Eren warned.

The response was another smirk and a sigh. "Come on, I'll drive you to my place."

Eren would have continued to be mad if it wasn't for Levi's car. It was the newest Audi model, its white body gleaming in the sunlight without as much as a spot on it. _A6_ greeted him as they approached from behind; he was sure that his jaw was wide open with surprise. With the tap of a button Levi unlocked the doors, the headlights flashing as it did. He busied himself with putting his bag in the backseat while Eren continued to drool over his car.

"Oi, brat. Are you going to continue to get wet over my car or actually get in?"

Eren flushed and muttered a quick apology before settling into the passenger seat. Levi sat down in the driver's seat and turned to Eren. "Here, take the baby. Hold on to him tight."

_I guess he's going to take this seriously_, Eren thought to himself as he took the baby into his arms. Levi started the car and they were off. He pulled out of the parking lot and began driving towards Stohess. Stohess was known as the wealthier part of the city, where many businessmen and even some celebrities lived. It was split evenly between being residential and commercial; the nicer shopping mall was located there. Eren figured it made sense, especially given Levi's nice car.

He didn't really know what to expect. Eren lived in Shinganshina, a middle class neighborhood that wasn't too bad to live in. The crime rate was fairly low but that didn't mean that they didn't occur. His father was a doctor and his mom was a secretary for an insurance company, so his family did decent. Their high school was located in the city of Rose, which was the middle ground between Stohess and Shinganshina. Rose was known for being more business than anything, with schools, skyscrapers, and stores crowding its streets.

As they finally arrived in Stohess the houses became bigger and more spread out. Eren's eyes widened as he spotted Victorian mansions, modernized super homes, and the newest models of luxury cars sitting pretty in the driveways. Eventually they reached Levi's home, a two story house styled in Spanish architecture. He stopped his car in front of the garage and, once it had opened, parked it neatly inside. They stepped out and he guided Eren towards a door on the side.

He couldn't figure out if the whole house was a dream or not.

It looked like it was ripped straight out of a fancy living magazine. They were standing in the entryway, complete with high vaulted ceilings and polished tile floors. A winding staircase was to their right with a set of French double doors leading into the living room. Levi led him there and gestured for Eren to sit in one of the couches. He gladly did so and watched as his host walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm good thanks."

Levi still brought back a water bottle, which Eren grudgingly accepted. He grunted a thanks and settled more into the couch. The baby was still in his arms and he made sure not to squish it. He looked down and realized that he hadn't even gotten a good look at it. It had a small tuft of black hair and glassy, light green eyes. His cheeks were round and slightly flushed. It creeped him out how incredibly _lifelike_ it was. He raised an eyebrow and looked back up.

His partner was digging through his bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen. He pulled out the baby package after and gave a long sigh. Just like Eren, he just wanted to get this project over with.

"Alright, so we need a schedule."

Eren put the baby down on the couch. "We need to spend how many hours again?"

"Four hours. Don't you pay attention?"

A quick flare of anger began to bubble within him. He sucked in a breath and muttered, "Right, we can split it up on the weekend or something."

Levi scribbled it down quickly. "How about . . . Two hours on Friday and then the other two on Saturday? We can switch off Sundays."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. What about during the week?"

He tapped his pen on the notebook. "Tch. Well I had the baby today, only makes it right you get it tomorrow."

Eren frowned. "You had the baby for like _two hours_. That doesn't mean you can just dump it on me."

Levi narrowed his eyes. Was the kid being for real? He pinched the bridge of his nose and bit his tongue so that he didn't snap. Once he was slightly calmed down he said, "Look, I don't want to do this stupid project as much as you do. Let's just get this figured out yeah?"

Eren crossed his arms and fell silent. Sighing he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, sure."

"Great. So you'll get the baby for the rest of the day. You can take care of it all tomorrow too."

"What?! That's not fair! You've only had the baby during school!"

"I can't do this on my own," Levi growled.

"This is bullshit! Why can't you just have the baby after school?"

"You act like I have all the time in the world to take care of this baby! You're lazy so you can do it!"

"I am _not _lazy! You're just an annoying stuck up control freak!"

The two continued to bicker on for a couple of minutes, the task of organizing completely forgotten. They accused each other and argued over who would perform duties better. The living room was filled with the sound of them yelling, their voices echoing off the walls. They would have continued fighting if it hadn't been for a sudden interruption.

What Mr. Smith had failed to mention was that the baby simulator acted like an _actual baby_. It reacted to different situations and was even able to feed and soil its diaper. While Eren and Levi were arguing fiercely the baby had sensed the stress and began to wail miserably. Immediately the two boys became silent, staring at the baby with wide eyes.

"Is the baby . . .?" Eren's voice trailed off.

"The little shit is actually crying," Levi murmured.

Since the baby was next to Eren, he picked it up and began rocking it awkwardly in his arms. He tried shushing it but it continued on crying. The wails got louder and louder until Eren was wincing and wanting to cover his ears. Groaning, Levi stood up from his spot and strode over to Eren.

"Give me that. I can handle this."

He gently took the baby and pulled it into his arms. Eren watched, amazed, as he rocked the baby perfectly and began to coo at it. His arms moved back and forth slowly, lulling the baby and calming it down. Eventually its wails became whimpers and soft hiccups. Levi was murmuring something under his breath that Eren couldn't understand. After about a minute the baby's eyes had closed and it began to snore quietly.

"Whoa . . . How did you do that?" Eren looked up at Levi, impressed.

He shrugged as he continued to rock it. "I have a baby cousin. She's very uneasy and cries often so I usually have to calm her down. I babysit her a lot."

Eren blinked. Was Levi really capable of being gentle? He tried to picture him with a baby girl in his arms but couldn't quite finish the picture. Levi settled back into his spot but continued to hold onto the baby. An awkward silence enveloped them and for a second they forgot the purpose of being there.

Levi set the baby aside gently and picked up the notebook again. "Can we please just figure out a schedule just for the week?"

"Sure, sure."

After about thirty minutes they managed to arrange plans just for the week. They had talked everything out to avoid conflict and decided that Eren would have the baby for tomorrow. This time around they would be at Eren's place. Levi would get the baby the day after and they would continue planning from there. They also began filling out the packet and filled in the tentative schedule.

The baby was still sleeping when they wrapped up. Eren sighed in relief as he stood up and informed Levi he was going to head back home. He waved and made his way back to the entry room.

"Oi, brat. How are you getting home?"

He glanced over his shoulder to see Levi standing in the doorway. Shrugging he casually replied, "I'm probably gonna take the bus. I think I saw a bus stop a couple ways down."

Levi narrowed his eyes. "It's getting dark out. To hell you think I'm gonna let you wait in the dark. Let me grab my keys."

"Levi, seriously it's fine. I take the bus all the time."

His words reached deaf ears. Levi had walked into the kitchen to grab his keys and then dashed up the stairs to leave the baby in his room. Eren sighed and began walking outside, figuring if he hurried he could probably escape Levi.

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to Eren's house. He was slightly embarrassed, especially after seeing where Levi lived. With his hand on the door he awkwardly turned to Levi and said, "Er, thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow."

Levi waved his hand, eyes locked somewhere outside his window. "Yeah. See ya."

Eren scrambled out of the car and made his way up the driveway, glancing over his shoulder in time to see Levi driving off.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a couple of notes for you all :<strong>

**- I know cannonically that Levi's last name is "Ackerman" but for the story it will be Rivaille . Mikasa will show up later in the story & I really don't want to explain how the two have the same last name . It's confusing enough in the manga so Rivaille it is .**

**- Don't expect the two to just jump into the relationship . I want this to be as realistic as possible so they will end up together but in due time ! Just stick with me people (:**

**- ALSO there might be some chapters that focus on the other pairings (ArminxAnnie , JeanxMarco , etc.) but they won't be until later on .**

**Please let me know what you thought ! Reviews are greatly appreciated as are favorites & follows if you haven't already . Let me know what to work on or if you have any suggestions . Until next time :D**


	3. Turnaround

Chapter Three – Turnaround

The next morning Eren met Levi at his locker to get the baby for the day. Apparently they both weren't morning people so they kept words to a minimum and arranged to meet in the parking lot after school. Eren gently took the baby and walked off, giving a half wave to Levi. Normally Armin arrived at school pretty early so Eren usually met him at his locker when he arrived. The blonde was sitting in front of his locker reviewing for his Physics class and looked up upon hearing footsteps. He grinned upon seeing the baby.

"So, it's your turn to be mommy today huh?"

Eren sighed and slumped next to him. "Please don't talk. I overslept and didn't manage to make any coffee."

"You poor soul."

Armin shuffled through his backpack and pulled out a thermal. He handed it to Eren and gave him a sheepish grin.

"I had a feeling. From what you told me I figured you would need it."

Thank the Gods for Armin Arlert.

Eren thanked him and opened it, chugging it down. The caffeine kicked in quick and he felt relaxed and semi-alert. He juggled the baby into the crook of his other arm and asked, "Does Annie have the baby today?"

Armin flipped a page. "Yeah. She's coming over to my place so we can finish up our schedule."

Eren nudged him in the ribs with his elbow. "Oooh, if your grandpa isn't there you can get some alone time."

Flushing, Armin punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up Eren! You're just making things worse!"

The brunette chuckled and leaned his head back on the locker. Armin began chattering away about Keppler's laws and nonsense until the bell rang. They helped each other up and went their separate ways: Eren to Spanish while Armin went to Physics. He glanced down at the baby and realized that he would have to be careful not to set it off, _especially_ during class.

At least there was an entire classroom of students walking around with "babies."

The first two periods went by rather quickly. Students were given a brief fifteen minute break in between second and third period, and many took advantage to eat a snack or cram before an exam. Eren had a quiz for his English class so he was rushing to his locker to grab his copy of _Hamlet_ to go over. When he turned the corner he skidded to a stop upon seeing a familiar figure leaning against his locker.

Levi looked up at him and smirked.

"Levi? What are you doing here?"

He walked over and stood in front of him, glancing down with a raised eyebrow. Levi's sharp eyes flashed to the baby and narrowed slightly.

"I hope you haven't been holding the baby like that all day."

Eren glanced down and noticed the baby slipping out of his arm. Cursing under his breath he readjusted it and looked back at Levi.

"Happy?"

"Listen, I don't have time to argue and I'm tired of it. Can we just put the shit aside just for one moment?"

Eren frowned. "Let's pick up this conversation after you stop blocking my locker."

Levi gave a quiet_ tch_ before shuffling aside. While Eren threw everything aside to look for _Hamlet_ he said, "We were able to get along last night for, like, thirty minutes. I guess we can do it again."

"Well what about during lunch? We can finish up the schedule for the first week."

Eren finally found the copy and stood up, banging his head on the top part of his locker. He cursed loudly and, rubbing his head, turned to Levi.

"Lunch? Uh sure, I don't see why not."

He watched as his partner pushed himself off the wall and said, "I'll save you a seat" before walking off. Eren watched him until he disappeared around the corner just as the bell rang. He cursed _again_ as he realized he hadn't had a chance to study.

Just as Levi said, he was saving a seat for Eren.

He was sitting at a table near the back of the cafeteria, with his bag hanging loosely on the chair across from him. During Health he had come up to Eren and told him he would be waiting before turning and heading toward the cafeteria. Armin had turned to him, confused, and asked, "What was that about?"

Eren rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh uh, we're um . . . Gonna be eating lunch together."

"Whaaa?!"

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, he asked me during the break."

Armin's blue eyes were wide. "Is the world coming to an end?"

"Ha ha, it's just lunch Armin."

He crossed his arms. "Eren, just yesterday you were wanting to tear his guts out. What changed?"

"This project. I just want to get it over with. Once it's over I'm going right back to hating him."

Eren sulked into the cafeteria and plopped down in front of Levi. His partner was munching on his sandwich, eyes focused on the table. Eren set the baby down carefully in the seat next to him and fumbled through his backpack for a pencil. Once Levi was done eating he neatly pulled the project packet out and flipped to the schedule page. They had only managed to work something out from then until the weekend and Levi suggested they plan out next week too.

"Alright, so will all three weekends be like this then?"

Levi tapped his pencil against the table. "Hmmm, well I guess we could switch off days. Like one Friday you get the baby, then the Friday after I get him."

Eren nodded. "Okay. And how about for the week?"

Levi picked up his apple and took a bite. Since lunch had started, Eren hadn't been able to eat. He pulled out a sack and began to eat a turkey sandwich his mom had made. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes and then continued planning. Eren was a fast learner so he knew what to avoid saying so he didn't piss off Levi. Likewise, Levi had studied Eren's quirks and avoided calling him out on little things.

If they wanted to finish this project peacefully he had to know what to do to avoid conflicts, right?

However, this didn't mean that Levi had stopped hating Eren. He still found the kid obnoxious and terribly angry. Not to mention that he was a bit sloppy. He had seen the inside of his locker and had cringed at the sight. Hadn't the kid heard of organizing his textbooks? Putting his papers inside a folder? _Taking home his old lunches and sweaters_.

The same went with Eren. He thought Levi was too uptight and took cleanliness _waaay_ too seriously. I mean, it wasn't possible for something to stay clean _forever_. Also, did his face always have to look like he was about to murder somebody? It seriously creeped Eren out but he knew he would just have to deal with it.

The bell rang just as they wrapped up. Eren picked up the baby and told Levi he would be in the parking lot after school. Levi gave him a half wave and they parted ways. He made it to AP Biology on time and sat next to Armin, who already had his notebook open and ready. He greeted Eren and then leaned forward excitedly.

"So? How did it go? Did you rip his face off?"

Eren frowned. "No, I did _not_ rip his face off. We actually got along fine. I think we both know how not to piss each other off now."

Armin raised an eyebrow. "Really. That was quick."

"Arlert, we've been best friends basically since we left the womb. You should know by now that I'm a fast learner."

He winked at Armin and reached into his backpack for his notebook. Dr. Pixis strolled in right as the bell rang and immediately went straight into the lesson.

Once school was over Eren rushed to his locker and quickly gathered his things. He ran into the parking lot and managed to get there at the same time Levi did. They greeted each other and climbed into Levi's (beautiful) car.

"Oi brat, are you seriously still drooling over my car?"

Eren flushed and shot a quick glare at Levi.

"Well it's not every day that I get to see a car like this."

Levi snorted and muttered a quick "whatever."

They pulled up to Eren's house and Levi parked smoothly in front. They climbed out and walked up to the front door. Eren lived in a nice neighborhood with houses that all looked nearly the same. His house was painted a blue similar to the sky, with a white picket fence in front. It wasn't nearly as nice as Levi's _mansion_ but it wasn't bad to look at either. He was slightly embarrassed, especially given that Levi came from a lot of money. But Levi complimented the home, saying that it seemed very cozy.

Eren swiftly unlocked the front door and stepped aside so Levi could enter first. Once inside he immediately yelled out, "Mom! I'm home! Are you here?"

His mother's job as a secretary gave her flexible hours, so she was usually home when he arrived from school. He figured that she had to work overtime or that she was out running errands since there wasn't a response. The living room was directly in front of the entrance, with three sofas surrounding a coffee table, and a flatscreen propped on the wall. Eren gestured for Levi to sit down and jogged into the kitchen.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he called over his shoulder.

Levi replied with a brisk no. Shrugging, Eren grabbed two water bottles anyway. He set them down on the coffee table and sat on the opposite sofa. The baby was placed next to him as Levi once again pulled out the project package. So far they had finished the schedule for the first week; the last two weeks were needed. Mr. Smith had assigned the project on a Wednesday and said that the first week didn't officially start until the following Monday. This had earned a collective groan from the class.

"Alright so the second week . . ." Levi reviewed the schedule they already had.

Eren opened his bottle and took a long sip. He poked his finger against his chin in thought.

"Why don't we just switch the days? You know, like since I get the baby this Monday you get it the next Monday . . ."

Levi began twirling his pencil in thought. "Hmmm, that doesn't sound too bad. I guess for the third week we can switch off again."

He scribbled it down in neat handwriting and then paused. One of his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"What about weekends? Would Friday be considered the week or the weekend?"

Eren frowned. Was Levi going to nitpick at everything? He sucked in a breath to calm himself and shrugged.

"How many hours do we need together? Four right?"

Levi nodded.

"Well . . . How about we split it? We can do one hour Friday and Saturday, and then two on Sunday. We can switch it off too."

Huh. Who knew Jaeger could think.

He finished writing it down and quickly reviewed it. Satisfied, he smirked and handed it to Eren so he could check over it. He pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of it before handing it back.

"Alright so at least _that's_ done," Eren sighed.

Levi hummed in agreement. An awkward silence enveloped them and they looked everywhere but at each other. Eren cleared his throat and reached for his backpack. "Well, I might as well get started on my homework."

"Yeah, we probably should."

_We?_ Eren had expected Levi to just up and bolt out of there, but instead he was staying behind. Levi pulled out his Math textbook and notebook and quietly got to work. The brunette blinked at him with wide, emerald eyes. _Is he serious? I mean, doesn't he just want to get back home?_ He shook his head and pulled out his AP Biology book. Cursing under his breath, he wondered why Pixis had assigned so many questions for them to answer.

Levi glanced over at the brunette, amused by his ranting. His gray eyes swept over the textbook cover.

"AP Biology huh?"

Eren looked up. "Yeah, unfortunately. My best friend dragged me into taking it. If it was up to me I would just take Anatomy or some easy science class."

Levi snorted. "Well at least you're not taking AP Chem."

Green eyes grew wide. "Oh shit. Are you seriously taking it?"

"Yup. Just like you said: unfortunately."

Eren shook his head and muttered _unbelievable_ under his breath. Well, he had dodged a bullet, that was for sure. Levi hummed in amusement and went back to his Math problems. After a while Eren decided AP Biology would have to be finished later and he pulled out his AP History book instead. Levi raised an eyebrow.

"You're taking APUSH too?"

Eren blinked in surprise. "Yeah. With Ms. Ral . . .?"

"Yeah. She's a really sweet teacher."

"She really is. I'm assuming you're taking it fifth period then?"

Levi nodded, picking at a random spot on his shirt.

"She's nice but her pop quizzes are straight from hell."

"YES! Finally! Someone who agrees with me!"

Levi couldn't help but snort again. "My best friend Hanji thinks I'm exaggerating."

"My God, Armin thinks the same thing. But he's a super genius so everything is easy to him."

"Same with Hanji. Shitty Four-Eyes thinks AP Chem is child's play."

"AP Bio is a breeze for Armin."

The duo then went on to discuss their best friends and their freaky intelligence. Eren was glad that Armin wasn't as crazy as Levi made Hanji out to seem. When he asked what grade Hanji was in and he discovered she was in their grade he became confused.

"How come she isn't in our Health class then?"

Levi sniffed. "Being the brainiac she is, she took it last year. She had to switch out an elective but she just wanted to get it out of the way."

They continued on with their conversation, their homework long forgotten. Eventually Levi realized he had to get home before his parents or they would freak out. He quickly gathered his things and snatched the extra water bottle Eren had brought him off the coffee table. They walked together to the door.

"You know, you're not that bad a person, Rivialle."

Eren paused, then let out a snort. "In fact, you're tolerable enough for anyone to date. If they have patience that is."

Levi frowned but then let out a soft chuckle. He reached up and punched Eren in the shoulder.

"Right now you can't stand me still but watch, later on, you shitty brat, you won't be able to stay away from me."

And with that he walked off, waving at Eren without bothering to look back. The brunette didn't move from his spot until Levi had driven off and was out of sight. He slowly closed the door and leaned against it.

Had . . . Had Levi been joking?

* * *

><p><strong>So the two are finally getting along ! Hanji will play a major part in the story later so just you wait c:<strong>

**As always let me know what you all thought ! :D**


	4. Square One

Chapter Four – Square One

The weekend went by in a flash. Eren and Levi managed to spend the mandatory four hours together without any problems and continued on with their conversation. They had spent one hour together Friday and Saturday in the morning since they both had things to do later in the day. The two hours Sunday were spent lounging around and talking about their interests and dislikes. When Monday rolled around Eren was actually _looking forward_ to seeing Rivialle.

He greeted Armin as he strolled towards his locker. The blonde flashed him a friendly smile before giving him a quick onceover.

"You're in an especially good mood today," Armin noted.

Eren shrugged. "Eh. I had a good weekend. I guess that's it."

"You spent it with Levi right? Working on the project?"

"Yup! We actually got along. Hey, did you know that he's into Big Bang Theory too?"

Armin's eyes widened. The two best friends often spent weekends watching reruns of the hit comedy and they exchanged lines from the episodes sometimes too. He excitedly began to jump a little.

"Really?! I thought he would be into like, something dark or something. You know? Like . . . The Walking Dead."

"Nah, he thinks it's overrated. But he _does_ watch Game of Thrones."

For a second Eren feared that his best friend was going to collapse.

"Please tell me he's read the books too!" Armin wheezed.

They spent the remainder of their time talking about Levi's interests and the things in common he had with Eren. At the sound of the bell the duo waved goodbye and went their separate ways. Mondays tended to drag, so by the time Health rolled around Eren was _exhausted_. He slumped into his seat just as Armin walked in.

"I knew Mondays were brutal but _seriously_? Lunch hasn't even started yet Eren."

The brunette groaned and laid his head down on the desk.

"Arlert please. I love you but I'm on the verge of strangling you right now."

Mr. Smith strode in just as the bell rang. He sat down behind his desk and greeted the class with a dazzling smile. Everyone who had Erwin Smith as a teacher often whispered about how a man that _handsome_ could be teaching. The man could be a model or actor or even the CEO of a business (the man just looked like he belonged in a tailored suit on the cover of a business magazine). Once the class had settled down he spoke to them in his deep, alluring voice.

"So how is the baby project going for everyone?"

The class replied with a series of "mehs?" "ugh" and groans. He chuckled and reached into his desk to pull out the lesson plan for the day.

"It will get better, trust me."

Once their lesson on the female reproductive system was over they were excused. Eren and Armin packed up their things while they chatted. They didn't notice when Levi walked over to their desk.

"Oi, do you wanna eat lunch together?"

They both stopped abruptly and glanced up at Levi simultaneously. He slightly flinched and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeesh, you guys are weird. You two are like robots that do everything at the same time."

Armin rolled his eyes while Eren snorted.

"We're best friends but we're not _that_ weird. And I'm sorry but what did you ask?"

Levi's eyebrow twitched. "Do you wanna eat lunch. Armin can join too if he wants."

"Oh! I appreciate that offer, but I'm eating lunch with Annie today," Armin said, flushing slightly. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled up at Levi.

"Thank you for the invitation though!"

"No problem," Levi murmured, turning to Eren. "And you Jaeger?"

"Eh, why not," Eren replied, standing up.

The two best friends said their goodbyes and then Eren and Levi proceeded to go to the cafeteria. Eren noticed that Levi tended to sit at the same table every day: all the way in the back corner, away from all the ruckus. The brunette collapsed in a seat across from Levi and zipped open his backpack to get his lunch.

"OOOOOOHHHHHH LLLLLEEEEVVVIII!"

A loud, obnoxious voice rang throughout the cafeteria and increased in noise as it approached. The source of the sound was a girl in their grade with brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Glasses glinted in the dim lights of the cafeteria, with a pair of dark brown eyes behind them peering at the duo. A huge grin was plastered on the girl's face as she skipped over to Levi. A blonde boy was trailing quietly behind her, face filled with embarrassment and slight annoyance.

"Oi, Shitty Glasses, can you keep it down? You'll wake up the entire city of Rose with your voice," Levi drawled, rubbing his temples.

Said girl simply giggled and sat next to Levi. "Oh you! Stop being so grumpy! You Grumpy Cat!"

Eren snickered at her comment, which earned him a nasty glare from Levi. The blonde boy had sat next to him and greeted him.

Levi sighed. "Eren, this is Hanji. She's the crazy geek best friend of mine I've been telling you about."

He gestured to the quiet blonde. "That's Moblit, her boyfriend."

"It's nice to meet you two," Eren said, smiling at the couple.

"Oooh, so _you're_ Eren! Oooh Levi has been talking about you so much lately!"

Levi choked on his sandwich and began coughing. Hanji giggled while he began to sputter out curse words at her. Eren watched on, amused and slightly weirded out, before replying, "Er, uhum . . . Well he's talked a lot about you too."

"Oh has he now? Weeeeell it's expected," Hanji stated. "He says I'm always up to _something_ but I don't believe it."

Levi's coughing had calmed down and he was now giving Hanji a death glare. "Can you go and be annoying somewhere else?"

"Nope!"

He growled and began picking at his bag of grapes. Eren ate in silence, watching the exchange curiously. Levi _definitely_ hadn't been exaggerating; Hanji was seriously something else. She turned towards Eren and cocked her head to the side.

"So you two are partners, right?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"Ahhh, I remember that project like it was yesterday!"

She leaned back in her seat, placing her arms behind her head.

"Y'know, that project is what got me and Moblit together!"

The blonde boy nodded enthusiastically. "It was hell at first, I'll admit, but it all worked out in the end. We got an A on the project."

"And I got a boyfriend out of it too!" Hanji exclaimed, intertwining her fingers with Moblit's.

Levi made a disgusted face at the sign of affection and began to nudge his best friend with his shoulder.

"Shoo, go be gross and mushy somewhere else!"

She stood up, giggling. "Yeah, yeah. We actually have somewhere we need to be."

Moblit stood up as well. "It was nice meeting you, Eren."

"Yeah!" Hanji said loudly. "I'm looking forward to hearing more about you!"

Before Levi could get his hands on her she had dashed off, Moblit helplessly being led away. The two watched them run off before exchanging glances with each other.

"She's, uh . . ."

"Too much, I know," Levi replied, frowning.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, each of their minds preoccupied with something else. When Levi had finished eating he eyed Eren before asking, "Oi, did you fill out the packet this morning since you have the baby?"

Eren froze. It was required that every morning they fill out the log stating that the baby had been "fed" and their diaper had been changed. He had done both things but had failed to write it down. He nervously scratched his head and flashed an apologetic smile.

"Er, no . . . Sorry! It just sort of slipped my mind. Shit happens, ya know?"

Levi's eyebrow twitched. So far the two had been getting along but, slowly, things were beginning to fall apart. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's really important that you do that. We get points for that, Eren."

"Yeah, yeah! Sorry dude, won't happen again."

_Dude_. How could Eren be treating this project so casually? Didn't he want to get an A? The bell rang then and Levi stood up abruptly.

"Remember to fill out the packet. I'll get the baby from you tomorrow morning."

He strode off, leaving a confused Eren at the table.

"O-okay?" he said, cocking his head to the side.

The first week of the project managed to go by quickly. Eren and Levi had been working together but the arguments had started up again. The first straw had been Eren forgetting the packet. The next strike came when Eren had forgotten to get the baby from Levi Wednesday morning. They had agreed to meet at Levi's locker but the brunette had failed to appear. The third mishap occurred after school that same day when Levi had forgotten to give Eren the packet back. Between then and Friday the two had gone back to bickering the way they had before the project, usually resulting in the two yelling at each other in the hallways or in the parking lot.

That Friday was scheduled to be at Eren's house. They were slated to spend the mandatory hour together and the duo were definitely _not_ looking forward to it. Levi had been ignoring the brunette all day and hadn't even bothered to remind him to meet in the parking lot. Armin had been trying to keep him cool all day but it was to no avail. Eventually the blonde gave up and let his best friend sulk in silence.

When the final bell rang Eren froze in his seat and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Ms. Ral was reminding them of their reading as the class shuffled out. Standing up slowly Eren began to tread over to his locker. Armin was waiting there with a disinterested Annie on his side.

He waggled his eyebrows at Armin when the small girl had glanced away. "Hey man. What's up?"

Armin shot him a quick glare. "I just wanted to remind you to stay calm. I don't want to see your face on the news because you murdered the guy."

"Ha ha. I can restrain myself thank you very much."

A blonde eyebrow shot up. Eren scowled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Trust me. I'm not even planning on talking to him."

"Oookay then. Well I'll see you later then."

The two blondes turned to go, talking quietly to each other. Sighing Eren grabbed what he needed from his locker and sulked over to the parking lot. As usual, Levi was standing by his car waiting for him. He didn't even bother looking up as Eren approached and instead settled into the driver's seat. The drive to Eren's place was dead silent. Usually the two engaged in small talk but since they had begun arguing again neither bothered to speak a word.

Eren gave a quiet groan upon seeing that his parents weren't home. _Great, now I have to deal with Rivialle all by myself. This should be just _great! He blew out a gust of air and led his project partner inside. Levi plopped down on the couch while Eren grabbed some Cokes from the fridge.

_I can get through one hour . . . Right? I mean sixty minutes . . . Thirty six hundred seconds . . . I can make it . . . Right?!_ Eren grimaced as he glanced sideways at Levi.

Meanwhile the raven haired boy kept his gaze trained straight ahead. _If Jaeger attempts anything I swear to God I'm gonna deck him._

Five minutes passed by. Eren was literally counting down. _Only fifty five minutes! Okay yeah, yes! Awww yeah I can do this!_ He smirked as he settled himself onto the couch and reached into his bag to pull out his copy of _Hamlet_.

He had spoken too soon.

Levi was reviewing their packet to make sure everything was okay when he realized something. His gray eyes narrowed into thin slits and he slowly raised them towards the brunette. Eren hadn't noticed; he was flipping through his book trying to find where he had left off.

"Oi, brat. Didn't I tell you to fill out the packet?"

Eren paused and glanced at Levi over his book. "What? Yeah, you did. What about it."

Levi's eyebrow twitched. "You _still haven't done it_."

If there had been anyone else in the room they would have evacuated by now.

"Nah that's a damn lie! I've been filling it out!"

"Then _why_ are there _blank spots_ where it has your _name_ and the _date_ you had the _baby_?"

Now it was time for Eren's eyebrow to twitch.

"I've been filling it out man. Are you sure it's not _you_ who's forgotten to fill it out?"

"Why the hell would I forget if I'm the one who told you to do it in the first place?!"

"You just give me shit so that the shift goes away from you!"

"You're a fucking idiot Jaeger!"

"Oh but you're a fucking prick with a steel rod up your ass!"

And so World War III began in Eren Jaeger's living room. They argued on for a good twenty minutes (which happened to be a new record mind you). The baby had begun to wail but Eren was so furious that he threw it aside and put a pillow over it to muffle it. Levi hadn't noticed at first because of how angry he was as well. But a few minutes after the baby had been thrown aside Levi had noticed it.

That did not sit well with him.

"Oh what the hell Jaeger! Do you think it's _okay_ to just throw the baby aside like that?! And to fucking smother it too?!"

"Well do you wanna cradle it? It's fucking crying!"

"Ugh why are you so _fucking_ _useless_? You're no good for anything!"

Just like that, Eren's temper was gone. Now, normally he was used to hearing Levi call him an "idiot" or a "shitty brat." But useless? For some weird reason it struck a nerve inside Eren and he felt his stomach sinking.

"You seriously can't even remember to fill out the packet when it's your turn! I have to constantly remind you to _do this_ or _do that_ because you're so useless! God I can see why you and Arlert are friends then. You need that genius or you wouldn't be able to survive!"

Eren remained silent. He just let Levi rant on without butting in. Once he was done he just glared at Eren, trying to regain his breath. He expected his partner to glare back and spew out his argument. What he didn't expect was for Eren to slowly lower his head and stare at the ground.

"You know what. You're really right. I am useless, Levi, aren't I?"

"Damn right you are," Levi growled. "You fucking shitty brat."

No response.

Eren continued to keep his eyes trained on the ground without saying a word. A few minutes later it dawned on Levi that maybe he had gone too far. Was Eren . . . had he actually hurt his feelings? _Oh shit_, he thought, pulse racing. _I think he's hurt. What did I say? Was it the useless part? Oh God . . ._

Before he could apologize the door opened, revealing Eren's mother. She was a cheerful woman with long brown hair and big, bright brown eyes. Levi could see where Eren got his looks from: he was the spitting image of his mother. Upon noticing the two boys she gave them a friendly smile before closing the door and walking over to them.

"Well hello there. You must be Levi. Eren has talked about you quite a bit."

Eren's cheeks went aflame. His mother was _exaggerating_. He had only mentioned Levi one or two times . . . Or maybe ten . . . Carla Jaeger was someone who could brighten a room just by entering it. Levi was enthralled by her and he wondered how Eren had inherited her looks but not her wonderful and gentle personality. He stood up and extended his hand out.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jaeger."

She took his hand and shook it softly. "The pleasure is all mine, sweetie."

Meanwhile Eren remained silent. His mother was very perceptive and he didn't want her asking him what was wrong, especially since the problem was in the room with them. Thankfully she was too focused on getting to know Levi and ensuring that he was comfortable.

"As much as I love your offer for lunch, Mrs. Jaeger, I must be going. Our hour is up and I have to be home before my parents arrive. It was nice meeting you."

It surprised Eren how polite Levi was being despite the fact that he had been spewing profanities just moments before. He scowled and glanced away, ignoring the goodbye Levi sent his way. Once the door had closed he stood up and slunk over to his bedroom.

"I'm taking a nap, Mom."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow okay so I didn't update last week because well college sucks lol (especially your 2nd year). Expect updates for this on Mondays ! Monday Monday haaa .<strong>

**I hope I didn't upset anybody . I mean , it was too good to be true for the moment . But fear not everybody this IS an Ereri fic after all so after this chapter it will be smooth sailing ! The only thing I will say is that it will take a while before feelings come out & a relationship is formed (maybe more drama mwaha we'll see).**

**Anyhoo let me know what you all thought ! Until next week :D**


	5. Rainbows & Apologies

Chapter Five – Rainbows & Apologies

Eren spent much of Saturday just lying around in his room, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. He only got up to eat, but even then he barely nibbled on his food. Time went by but he wasn't sure what time it was. The curtains in his room had been drawn shut, preventing any sunlight from coming in. His mother had knocked on his door many times but he insisted that nothing was wrong. Even his dad had been involved: he went into his room without knocking and continued to ask what was bothering him.

Sometimes parents just didn't know when to stop.

But the ironic thing about this whole moping situation was Eren _didn't even know_ why he was so down. Levi was a cold, harsh person. Eren knew that, it was the reason why he hated him! Well, among other things . . . But still! He sighed and rolled over in his bed. Based on the amount of sunlight hitting his curtains the sun was probably going to set soon.

"Eren! Dinner!" his mom called from the kitchen.

He was right. Sighing he slowly sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. He rubbed his eyes slowly, trying to gather energy to sit at the table for a few minutes and pick at his food. Just as he was about to stand up a loud noise startled him.

Eren wasn't really one to use his cellphone. The only person he really texted was Armin so he never really paid much attention to it. So he was really surprised upon hearing the loud _zzzt zzzt_ repeatedly shaking his nightstand. He raised an eyebrow. Who could be calling him right now? Armin usually never called unless he knew Eren was going to be busy. Giving another sigh he stretched to grab his phone. His heart stopped upon seeing the name on the screen.

_Rivaille_.

His hands began to shake. Should he answer? Should he just ignore the call? Hang up? Just as he was about to decide his phone stopped vibrating and _(1) Missed Call_ flashed across the screen. _Well at least I didn't have to worry about that_ Eren thought in relief. Suddenly his phone lit up and began vibrating again. Frightened, he gave a yelp and dropped the phone. It flew out of his hand and landed on the floor with a soft _plop_.

Levi's name flashed again and Eren began to panic. What did he want?! What was he supposed to say?! He picked up his phone just as _(2) Missed Calls_ appeared. _I really hope he doesn't call again_ the boy pleaded, setting his phone down.

"Eren Jaeger! It's time for dinner!"

"Okay Mom! I'm going!" he yelled back, standing up.

He was about to get to the door when his phone began buzzing _again_. Frustrated he stomped back to his bed and answered without thinking.

"Hello. What. Yes."

". . . Eren?"

Levi seemed hesitant, as if he was unsure of what to say. It was the first time Eren had heard him speak without being firm. Shifting his feet he replied with a cold, "Yes?"

A pause. If he listened closely he could hear Levi fiddling with something. Was he . . . was he nervous? Eren opened his mouth to speak but was beaten by Levi.

"Are you busy? I don't want to interrupt anything."

"No, ah, no. I mean, I have some time."

His mother called for him again but he ignored it. He waited for Levi to speak again.

"Look, I wanted to do this in person but I . . . uh, couldn't get the courage to see you. So I'm sorry. I was a real grade A asshole to you. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but I really am sorry."

Eren was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Levi _actually apologizing_?

"But then again, it's not my fault you're such a shitty brat."

He couldn't help but chuckle. Leave it to Levi to ruin a perfectly good moment. A small smile graced his face.

"It's okay, Levi. I mean, it hurt my feelings but I'm glad you apologized."

"Like I said I feel bad. I didn't realize that my words would hit you hard."

Eren shook his head. "Shit happens man. Don't worry dude."

A small chuckle left Levi's lips. "Alright then."

Carla Jaeger was furiously walking to Eren's room. Sighing Eren softly said, "Hey can I call you back in a bit?"

The next morning Eren was sitting in his living room sipping on some orange juice while the TV lulled on dully in the background. His parents had gone out to run some errands before the week started once again. After dinner the previous night he & Levi had agreed to meet up today in order to work on the project. Levi had assured he would be there at 11 sharp after he had breakfast with his family.

The cable box resting underneath the TV boldly proclaimed _10:54_. In just six minutes Levi would be knocking on his door. He was actually looking forward to seeing him for a change. Maybe the moody clean freak was beginning to grow on him . . . Sighing he set down his orange juice and settled deeper into the couch. SpongeBob was laughing along with Patrick as they annoyed their grumpy neighbor Squidward. He couldn't help but chuckle. _Ah, a classic . . ._

The episode had just ended when the doorbell rang. He jumped up and jogged to the door. Levi greeted him with a brisk "hello" and "how are you" before entering. He took his usual spot on the couch and set the baby down next to him. Eren rushed to the kitchen to bring him a drink before getting comfy in his spot once again.

"Look, I'm still really sorry Eren, I-"

"Hey! Whoa, whoa it's fine!" he laughed.

Levi seemed a bit on edge. He sighed and ran a hand down his undercut. Eren chuckled and grinned at him.

"Shit happens, okay? Let's move on and work on this project."

His partner gave a slow nod and pulled the packet out. The first hour was spent filling out the logs and taking care of the baby's needs. It was when another half hour had passed that Levi realized something.

"Hey. Since we didn't do our hour yesterday we have to tack it onto today."

It took a minute before Eren processed what he was saying.

"Oh my gosh you're right. Well . . . I'm sure we can figure something out."

"I mean it's just an additional hour, Jaeger."

Eren glanced around the room. "Um, did you bring any homework?"

"No, I finished it all yesterday."

Bummer.

Well, Mr. Smith had never specified _how_ the four hours together had to be spent. As long as the partners were together in the company of the baby and the baby wasn't _completely_ neglected it was fine. A lightbulb flashed in Eren's head then. They _were_ spending time together & the baby _was_ with them. He turned to face Levi.

"Do you wanna play Mario Kart?"

Levi had been scrolling through his Facebook feed when Eren asked him that. He slowly looked up, a devious glint flashing in his eyes.

"Is that even a question?"

Eren jumped up and immediately began working on connecting his Wii. Levi settled closer to the TV and waited patiently. After about two minutes the Wii was up and running and the Mario Kart 8 theme was playing. Eren plopped down next to Levi and gave him a devilish grin.

"I'm warning you I take Mario Kart _very_ seriously."

"As if I'm gonna let you beat me, Jaeger," Levi smirked.

Eren chose a random cup and the two began. Normally, Eren was absolutely superb at Mario Kart, often beating Armin and the rest of their friends. He was expecting the same result with Levi. But to his great surprise it was Levi who was kicking his butt today. The clean freak had chosen Mario and was owning the racetracks. Eren had chosen his usual Shy Guy but was scowling as Levi won first place for the third time in a row.

"Didn't I say I wasn't going to let you win?" Levi asked, hiding a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Eren grumbled as his eyes flickered between the various courses. A slow grin crept on his face and he turned to his partner.

"I hope you're ready for Rainbow Road!" the brunette exclaimed, letting out a cackle of laughter.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

The duo chose the first Rainbow Road option and, at the beginning, Eren was in the lead. He began bragging about how he was _finally_ beating Levi when, out of nowhere, he knocked Eren off the course and crossed the finish line.

Eren's eye twitched. Oh that was it. He was declaring war.

When Armin stopped by later to hang out with Eren he walked into the living room and saw his best friend and _Levi Rivaille_ racing on the second Rainbow Road course screaming at the top of their lungs. He froze and watched how Eren was practically on top of Levi as he tried to catch up from his 5th place spot. Levi didn't seem bothered and instead focused on maintaining his first place position.

"Um, am I interrupting something?" Armin yelled over the two boys.

They didn't pay any attention to him and resumed with their game. The blonde sighed and began debating whether or not he should just pull the plug on the Wii. He figured he would wait for them to finish their laps and jump in on the next round. Levi's winning streak continued as he coasted through the finish line in 1st place. Eren threw his Wii remote down and turned to Levi.

"This is some voodoo bullshit!" he shrieked, running his hand down his face.

"You're just a sore loser, Jaeger," Levi replied dryly, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Um hi?" Armin tried again, waving his arms trying to get their attention.

Eren groaned and threw himself back on the couch. Levi chuckled and stretched his arms. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted their guest.

"Oh. Armin. How long have you been here?"

He sighed. "Long enough. Can I join in for a couple of rounds?"

"Take my spot," Eren's muffled voice floated from the couch. "I'm done for the day."

Armin sat in between the two and grabbed the remote Eren had discarded. He chose the first cup and smiled weakly at Levi.

"I'm not the best okay? But I won't throw a fit like Miss Drama Major over here."

"Hey!"

Armin laughed while Levi merely smirked.

"I've got to agree with you. He can win an Academy Award with that performance."

"YOU GUYS!"

The two laughed and began their race. Armin wasn't too bad, Levi had to admit, but he wasn't able to beat the champ. Eren continued to complain about Levi winning continuously while Armin scolded his best friend about being overdramatic. They continued to play on until the sun set and Eren's parents strolled through the front door. They greeted Eren and Armin while Carla happily said hi to Levi.

"Oh Levi! How great to see you again!"

"It's lovely to see you again, Mrs. Jaeger," he replied while setting his remote down.

"Will you two boys be joining us for dinner?" Dr. Jaeger asked as he hung his keys up.

"If you don't mind! My grandpa is at his bingo club tonight," Armin said as he stood up and stretched.

"Of course Armin honey, you know you're always welcome here," Carla said. Her warm eyes flickered to Levi.

"How about you Levi? Will you be joining us tonight?"

Eren looked hopefully over at Levi. He always left in a hurry and, besides, the two were having a lot of fun together. His partner hesitated before glancing uncertainly at Carla.

"Well, I don't want to be a bother Mrs. Jaeger."

"A bother? Oh sweetie you'll never be a bother!"

Eren nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah! At least stay once for dinner!"

Levi shot a quick glare at Eren. The brunette shrugged in response and waited for a response. Everyone in the room was staring at him. Sighing he ran a hand through his undercut.

"Well. Let me call my parents so they don't have an anxiety attack over me not being home."

Carla clapped her hands excitedly together while Dr. Jaeger chuckled. Armin smiled at Levi and exclaimed, "Eren's mom makes the best food! You're in for a treat!"

Eren's parents disappeared into the kitchen. Armin excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Eren and Levi alone. Levi sighed again before standing up and turning to Eren.

"I'm gonna go outside to call my parents really quick. Be back in five."

"Dinner is served boys!"

Carla Jaeger had cooked some roast beef with a side of mashed potatoes and a bowl of string beans. The appetizer was a Caesar salad with a side of ranch for everybody. Several pitches containing water, lemonade, and juices were placed so everyone could choose as they pleased. Levi's eyes went wide at the sight of all the food.

"Don't be shy! Dig in!"

Levi was sitting in between Armin and Eren who happily began piling their plates with food. He waited until everyone else had gotten some food before grabbing some for himself. They sat in silence for a bit before Carla caught Levi's attention.

"Levi what do your parents do?"

He swallowed his piece of roast beef before answering.

"Both of my parents are chefs. They run a company now."

"That's incredible my boy. Which company?" Dr. Jaeger inquired.

"_Delicieux_ Incorporated. It means delicious in French."

Carla Jaeger let out a loud squeal.

"Your parents are the CEO of _Delicieux_?!" she exclaimed.

Eren let out an embarrassed groan while Dr. Jaeger shook his head pitifully. Armin giggled under his breath and glanced at Levi from the side of his eyes.

"I buy all my cooking supplies from them! Actually I just bought their new cookbook that just came out!"

A small smile tugged at Levi's lips. "Did you now? Well, I'll tell my parents. I'm more than sure that they'll be pleased to know."

Carla swooned again and grabbed her husband's arm. "Sweetie did you hear that? They'll be _pleased_!"

Once dinner was over Armin helped Carla clean up while Grisha went into his study to finish up some paperwork. Eren and Levi went back into the living room and settled on the couch.

"Thanks for staying for dinner. My mom really likes you, so it meant a lot to her."

Levi shrugged. "It's no big deal. Your mother is an incredibly sweet woman."

A soft smile graced Eren's features. "Yeah, she really is."

His partner stood up and looked down at him with his sharp gray eyes. Eren stared back and cocked his head to the side, waiting.

"When's your mother's birthday? I'll see if my parents can get her a brand new cooking set."

Eren gaped at him. "Really?! Oh my gosh she would love that!"

"It's the least I can do for being an asshole to you. Thanks again for the dinner and Mario Kart. It was fun kicking your ass."

"Hey! I demand a rematch!"

Levi smirked at him. "You're on. This week during our hours?"

Eren couldn't help but grin back at him. "Alright, the deal has been sealed."

* * *

><p><strong>I SWEAR I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS STORY ! I have been EXTREMELY busy with college ! I had a midterm today &amp; I'm drowning in all my reading . I thought things would be easier since it's my 2nd year but I guess not ! :(<strong>

**But yay ! They made up ! & who DOESN'T love Mario Kart right ?! I've always pictured the two of them playing together while getting really into it . I wanted to come up with a better name for Levi's parents' company but , as I am currently still learning French and can only have a small decent conversation , I had to choose something simple . You'll hear more about Levi & his backstory probably in the next chapter or the one after . & romance will be coming soon ! Once again I am so sorry about the delay but school got in the way . I hope you all enjoy this chapter !**


	6. Gravity

Chapter Six – Gravity

"Alright class! Just a reminder that you are currently in the second week of the project!"

Mr. Smith had just begun speaking right after the bell. His soft blue eyes flickered around the room as he examined his pupils. Some of the partners had opted to sit next to each other during class while the rest remained in their assigned seats. Eren and Armin sat in their usual seat in the back, watching their handsome teacher while they rocked their babies.

"Man I felt like the first week dragged," Eren muttered under his breath.

"I agree. But it definitely wasn't too bad."

Eren grinned at Armin. "Well _obviously_ it wasn't too bad for you. You got to work with Annie!"

"Eren!"

He chuckled and glanced over towards the front. Levi was sitting quietly, notebook open ready for the lesson. The two had spent their morning together complaining about Monday before Armin jumped in and began discussing Game of Thrones. The three of them had agreed to eat lunch together. Eren's stomach growled at the thought and he tried to push any and all thoughts of food away.

"Remember to keep filling out your packet! It's a crucial part of your grade."

Once Mr. Smith had finished going over some announcements he began the lesson over obesity and its risks. Eren was hoping that the class would end quickly so that he could go eat lunch with his two friends. A few minutes later, as he was scribbling his notes frantically he realized something.

When had he started calling Levi his _friend_?

He blinked and dropped his pencil in surprise. Armin, who had been paying attention intently, glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Eren shook his head as if to say _I'm fine_ and slowly picked it up. The blonde continued on with his notes while Eren sat in thought.

_Huh, to think that I used to find Levi so annoying before. And now we're hanging out playing Mario Kart like buddies. I guess he isn't so bad of a guy after all . . . I guess he just needs some warming up._

He peeked up at Levi, who was taking notes as intently as Armin. A small smile tugged at his lips as he examined his undercut from behind. _Levi is pretty cool. At least we managed to get along_.

When there was thirty minutes left of class Mr. Smith told the class they would be watching a video on the effects of obesity. He turned off the lights and let the video play. Yawning, Eren leaned back in his seat and lazily watched the screen. His eyes wandered back over to Levi but this time he took in his profile from the side.

_Huh, I never realized how much of a strong jawline he has . . . He could kill a bitch with it. And his nose is pretty straight too . . . He lucked out in the looks department, that's for sure._

At that moment Levi turned his head slightly and made eye contact with Eren. Flustered, he flashed him a sheepish grin before shrugging. He could practically hear the snort under Levi's breath across the room as he smirked in response before turning back to the screen. Armin turned towards Eren and frowned slightly.

"Are you even paying attention?"

"Hold your horses, Arlert. I'm good."

The blonde scoffed and rolled his eyes. Eren stared at the clock and gave a quiet sigh of relief when he saw that there were only ten minutes left. He leaned forward on his elbows and figured he would watch the last of the video before lunch.

At the sound of the bell Eren instantly became excited. He threw everything into his backpack and gently picked up the baby. Armin followed him out as they made their way to their locker and then to the cafeteria. Levi had told them to sit at his usual table and that he had to run a quick errand before he joined them.

"That video made me slightly lose my appetite. Yuck. Eren, we are _not_ eating at McDonald's anymore."

"Aw come on! Why not? You act like we eat it every day!"

"Well Eren, you sort of already do."

Levi sat with them then and shook his head, remarking on how "disgusting" fast food places were, especially McDonald's.

"SEE?! Even Levi agrees with me!"

Eren rolled his eyes and pulled out his lunch. Armin and Levi did the same and picked up their conversation on Game of Thrones from the morning. The brunette munched on his lunch quietly and watched his two friends discuss the Stark family. Armin was gushing over the family while Eren rolled his eyes again as he opened his bag of chips.

"Oi, Eren, are you even listening?"

He blinked and glanced up. Levi was staring at him with his usual bored expression while Armin had a raised eyebrow. Frowning Eren set down his bag and pointed a finger at them.

"I don't watch your Game of whatever, so no. I'm completely lost right now."

Armin narrowed his eyes. "Don't disrespect Game of Thrones!"

"Alright, alright, so what _do_ you like?"

Eren's eyes lit up at Levi's question. He fought the urge to bounce excitedly in his seat.

"I recently got into Criminal Minds! It's so interesting man I tell you."

"Oh? I've heard of it. Is it really that good?"

Eren gave a dramatic gasp. "What?! Of _course_ it's good! We should watch it sometime!"

Levi rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmmm, perhaps. What's it about anyway?"

Armin observed as Eren jumped right into an explanation of his newfound show. He found it hilarious how _excited_ his best friend got talking about something he loved. And he couldn't help but note how intently Levi was listening to Eren and just watching him talk. A slow smile crept onto his face as he realized something.

"Sorry you two, but I just remembered I have a quiz I need to study for. I'm going to the library."

Eren paused mid-sentence and pouted. "Do you have to? Well, alright then. Good luck!"

Armin stood up and practically dashed out of the cafeteria. Without missing a beat Eren jumped right back into the conversation, with Levi still paying attention.

"I have to agree, that _does_ sound pretty interesting. But have you heard of American Horror Story?"

Eren crinkled his nose. _I can't deny that he's pretty cute when he does that . . . Wait, did I just admit to thinking that Eren _Jaeger_ is cute?! The world must be coming to an end . . ._ Levi cleared his throat while he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Marco watches it and he's constantly talking about it. I'm pretty sure he annoys Jean with how much he mentions it."

"What? AHS is really good. I'm not one for shows that have different storylines each season. I like consistency. But Ryan Murphy is doing a great job with it. Now _that's_ a show we have to watch."

Eren popped a chip in his mouth. "Mmm, I don't know. It's not quite my cup of tea. But I will give it a try."

"Good. We can watch an episode on the weekend or something."

The two partners smiled at each other before continuing on with their lunch.

"Alright that was the biggest mind fuck of my entire life."

Eren and Levi had just finished watching an episode of American Horror Story and were waiting for Netflix to load the next episode. They were spending their hour at Levi's house today, since it was Levi's turn to have the baby that day. Although it was only required to spend four hours together a week, the duo still spent many hours together.

Levi chuckled and leaned back on the couch. Eren was frowning at the screen, his lips pushed out in a slight pout. It took all of Levi's willpower to tear his eyes away from his partner and his puppy dog expression. The screen faded to black and the next episode started. Since the first part of the episode consisted of a flashback Eren was beyond lost.

"Wait, what's going on?" he asked.

"Just watch. It'll explain itself."

"But! But, how does this relate to the plot?"

"_Eren_."

The brunette crossed his arms over his chest and gave a loud huff. Levi smirked and turned back to the TV screen. As the scene played out his gray eyes widened slightly as he intently watched what was happening. Eren rolled his eyes and shifted his position so he could get more comfortable. As he was shifting he happened to glance over at Levi again. He stuck his tongue out at him but it went unnoticed.

_What a loser. Look how focused the dweeb is! I am so confused right now . . . What's happening? Whatever, I'll just wait until Violet and her family comes back on . . . Look at him. With his stupid weird shaved haircut and his squinty gray eyes . . . Although, his eyes are a really nice color._

Eren froze. _Wait what?_

Levi let out a sigh as the episode switched back to the modern times. Eren nervously shifted his gaze back to the TV. _Why was I thinking those weird things? Levi is my _friend._ Like, that's it . . . Right?_

He peeked at his partner from the corner of his eye. Even from his peripheral vision he could distinguish the sharp features of his face. _Look how long his eyelashes are. Every time he blinks they brush his cheeks. His hair looks so soft too . . . He probably takes really good care of himself._

Eren was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't realize he was smiling goofily. It was Levi who noticed and pointed it out.

"Oi, Jaeger. What are you smiling to stupidly for?"

He immediately snapped out of his thoughts. "Wha-? Oh shit, uh, sorry. I just . . . I spaced out."

Levi paused the episode. "Well, whatever you were thinking about sure made you happy."

"Er, yeah," Eren laughed nervously. "I guess you can say that . . ."

Levi examined him for a minute. "Okay then. What were you thinking about?"

_Well damn_.

"Funny question you're asking, heh. Um . . ."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Well? Spit it out already."

Eren jumped up then, eyes wide with panic. He glanced frantically around him and quickly gathered all his things. Levi watched him with a puzzled expression as he tried to figure out what was going through his head. The brunette slung his backpack over his shoulder and shot his partner an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Levi, but I really have to get home. My parents are going to be very upset if I get back late."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "It's not even five o'clock yet. Don't your parents get home around six or six thirty?"

_Crap_. Eren slowly began backing out of the living room. He scratched nervously at the back of his head.

"Er, yeah. But I forgot that they wanted me to clean the kitchen before they came home. My mom also wants me to set up the table too. Um . . . I'll see you later!"

Before Levi could object his partner had turned and dashed out the front door. Sighing he stood up and sprinted out the door to catch Eren before he disappeared. Unfortunately, by the time he stepped outside, he couldn't find him at all. He walked over to the sidewalk and scanned both ways but couldn't find Eren.

_I could drive and find him but he'll most likely be gone . . . Why did he suddenly just get up and run? He looked like a deer caught in headlights . . . Is he okay?_

He shook his head before turning and walking back into his house.

Eren was lying in bed after finishing dinner and taking a long shower to clear his thoughts. However, the hot steam hadn't calmed his nerves but, instead, he was a ball of anxiety. His mind was running a million miles an hour as he tossed and turned in bed. For a second he contemplated being like Armin and mapping everything out to get an answer.

He slowly sat up and ran a hand through his hair. _Okay, well I hated Levi's guts with a passion at first. But then we worked through it and we became like . . . Acquaintances? Well whatever, we actually managed to get along and now we're friends. I mean, we're pretty good friends? I mean, we _did_ watch American Horror Story together. And that's his favorite show too . . ._

His mom knocked on the door and informed him she was going to bed. He hollered a quick good night before turning over in his bed again. A long sigh escaped his lips as he continued to ponder over everything.

_But friends don't check each other out . . . Unless they like each other. Because then it's . . ._

He flopped back onto his bed and squeezed his eyes shut.

Eren Jaeger had just come to a conclusion. He had feelings for Levi Rivaille. Where and when he had developed those feelings was still a mystery. His heart sank as he decided that he would keep it a secret because he didn't want to ruin their friendship. With one last sigh he settled into his blankets and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I AM STILL ALIVE I PROMISE ! I did not think that this update would take forever ! But , as I stated before , college comes first . Y'all should be happy because I chose this over my five page paper that is due Wednesday haha . But YES ! Eren has realized he has fallen for Levi . &amp; hmmm does Levi have feelings for Eren too ?! The romance is finally taking off but it will continue to be slow building . I want the romance to be as realistic as possible &amp; not rushed &amp; just . . . No lol . I will try my best to update next week , if not the week after ! I have Thanksgiving break so I'll have a lot of free time . Let me know what you all think !<strong>


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